Special Education
Special Education and Section 504
What is Special Education?
Special education refers to both a legal designation that affords certain rights and protections to individuals with documented disabilities; and a broad range of specialized education services that help students with disabilities receive a meaningful and quality education.
Section 504
Sometimes students with a disability do not require special education services; however, they require accommodations and modifications. In such a case, students may be eligible for a Section 504 Plan. Disability Defined under Section 504 (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973) protects students from discrimination based upon their disability status. In a public school setting, a student qualifies as disabled under the definition of Section 504 if he or she has a mental or physical impairment, a record of impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment; and is substantially limited in his or her major life activities. Under such circumstances, classroom modifications and/or testing accommodations are provided to ensure the student has equal access to their education.
Examples of modifications and accommodations include, but are not limited to:
•Extended time on exams
•Separate Location for exams
•Preferential Seating in a classroom
•Refocusing and Redirection in the classroom
A student is excluded from eligibility if his or her condition does not substantially limit a major life activity. For example, a medical diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder alone would not be sufficient for a child to qualify under Section 504 if the child had no problems in school.
Special Education Services
Students with a disability may require specialized education services in addition to accommodations and modifications. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) includes a variety of protections for students who are deemed eligible to receive special education services. There are 13 disability classifications under IDEA, each with its own set of eligibility criteria. If a student meets special education criteria, there is a continuum of special education services available. Students are entitled to be educated in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) possible. In-district special education services are described below, from least restrictive to most restrictive:
Declassification Support Services
Provided to students who are declassified (no longer in need of special education services) but in need of support through guidance, psychology or building level programs for up to one additional year to help the student transition from special program to a general education.
General Education with Related Services
Related services are developmental, corrective and other support services required to help a student with a disability to benefit from instruction in the general education curriculum in general education classes. Can include, but not limited to speech services, counseling, occupational therapy or physical therapy.
Consultant Teacher Services
Provides direct and/or indirect services to help students with disabilities who attend general education classes. With direct services, the special education teacher consults directly with the student. With indirect services, the special education teacher consults with the student’s general education teachers to monitor progress
Resource Room (sometimes called Learning Center)
Supplemental/ support services provided to students. At PVHS, the Resource Room is typically one period in a student’s schedule, involving no more than 5 students in the Resource Room working with a special education teacher.
Integrated Co-Teaching (previously called collaborative or inclusion classes)
Students with disabilities and general education students are educated together with a general education teacher and a special education teacher who collaborate together. The special education teacher in the class works to adapt and modify instruction for the students with special needs. The general education teacher is responsible for assuring the entire class has access to the general education curriculum.
Special Class (also called Self-Contained class)
Students with disabilities are educated in a classroom with a smaller student-teacher ratio. Ratios are determined based on the similarity of the individual needs to the students according to levels of academic or educational achievement and learning characteristics, levels of social development, levels of physical development and the management needs of the students in the class.
*Out of District Programs are available if it is deemed that a student cannot be educated using the services listed above.
How are students deemed eligible for special education services or Section 504 accommodations?
The committee on Special Education (CSE) and Section 504 committee are both multidisciplinary teams (including the parent/ guardian and PVHS student) that determine eligibility based on upon completion of the administration of educational and psychological evaluations, as well as other information such as teacher and parent reports, medical documentation, social history information, etc. School teams or a parent/ guardian can make a referral to have a student evaluated.
For more information, check out the Special Education Link of New York State Education Department Website at: